Fuel container



y 1943f H. A. BLACK 2,319,844

FUEL CONTAINER Filed May 14, 1941 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 25, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in fuel container construction.

An object of the invention is to provide a fuel container of generally improved design.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fuel container having a reserve supply chamber within a service supply chamber.

A further object of the invention i to provide a container of the aforesaid character having a valve for controlling the passage of fluid between the main chamber and an auxiliary chamber disposed within a depression Within which it is accessible from the exterior without protrusion therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a fuel container of the above character which is relatively simple and durable in construction and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description progresses.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the improved container, and

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on lin 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred example of the invention, I generally designates a cylindrical wall forming shell of elongated formation. Inwardly of the ends of the cylindrical shell are formed rounded approximately semispherical end heads ll forming the ends of a main chamber of the container. As shown to advantage at Figure 1 the rounded end heads II are disposed substantially inward of the extreme longitudinally projecting end portions I 2 of the cylindrical shell. In the medial top portion of the shell is provided a filling opening normally closed by a screw cap l3 or other suitable closure element. At an end portion of the shell, adjacent the top, is provided an outlet port I4.

Within the lower portion of this main chamber forming tank, adjacent one end, is mounted an auxiliary chamber forming tank l6 also of cylindrical formation and offset with relation to the center line of the main chamber as shown to advantage at Figure 2. This auxiliary tank is formed integral with or secured to an inwardly bowed portion I! in the form of an arcuate wall depressed with relation to the general contour of the shell of the main chamber to form a concavity closed at the ends by transverse segmentalshaped end walls l8.

Communication is afforded between the interiors of the main and auxiliary chambers by means of a conduit or pipe l9 disposed so that its upper end extends through an opening in the concave wall portion l1 adjacent its juncture with the cylindrical wall of the major chamber. The bottom part of the conduit l9 extends through an aperture 20 in the exposed portion of the auxiliary tank I6 so that its lower open end terminates in a position within the bottom portion of this tank, as clearly illustrated at Figure 2. At the intermediate portion of the conduit l9 between its connection with the wall I! and the tank I6 is mounted a hand operable control valve 2| disposed so that it is entirely within the external cavity formed by the wall I I.

At the to portion of the main tank I0 is mounted an outlet 22 carrying a conventional regulating valve while a similar valved outlet 23 is connected with the upper portion of the auxiliary tank 16.

The container, which is particularly adaptable for containing liquified gas fuel, provides an efficient arrangement of a reserve chamber of relatively small capacity within a service chamber with a control connection between the two. A primary feature of this construction is the provision of the concaved depression in the shell of the exterior main chamber designed so that the valve for controlling the passage of fluid between the reserve and service chambers is in a retracted position within the compass of the contour of the exterior shell while enabling convenient access thereto for operation. Such retracted arrangement of the valve affords protection therefor and is advantageous in obviating accidental openin thereof or injury to the valve or conduit.

I have found such tank construction particularly advantageous in the storage of liquified gases such as butane or propane. In such cases the valved conduits 22 and 23 may be utilized to regulate the filling of the chambers, as for instance to limit the amount of liquid introduced into the respective tanks, during filling, to ninety percent of the capacity thereof.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: In a container of the character described, an elongated cylindrical main tank adapted to contain fluid and forming the service chamber of the container, the said tank having a relatively small portion of its circumferential wall depressed to form an arcuate concavity therein, an elongated cylindrical reserve tank of relatively small diameter mounted longitudinally within the main tank and parallel with the axis of the latter, an intermediate portion of the circumferential wall of the reserve tank merging into and protruding from the arcuate wall of the concavity, a conduit extending through the concavity transversely of the axis of the main tank and opening into the respective main and reserve tanks to provide communication therebetween, and a control valve mounted at the intermediate portion of the said conduit, the said conduit and valve being disposed wholly within the concavity and within the circumferential contour of the main tank with the said valve being manually operable from the exterior of the main tank for controlling the passage of fluid from one of the said tanks to the other.

HENRY A. BLACK. 

